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When the Fates Decree 

" There's a Divinity that shapes our ends " 



By 

GRANT H. CODE, '14 

Peabody High School 

Pittsburgh, Pa. 



[REVISED EDITION] 



Published by the Author 
1318 Sheridan Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pa 



'; 



4 , 

£ £ f 



To Student-Lovers of 
VERGIL - 
this Play is dedicated 



Copyright 1914, by 
GRANT H. CODE 

FinSt Edition printed June. 1914 
Revised and Reprinted November, 19] 4 



m 17 1916 




FOREWORD 

T is admittedly difficult to convince the average boy and 
girl, upon completing the Fourth book of the Aeneid, that 
Aeneas was justified in forsaking Dido. Modern sentiment 
is clearly against the hero. Indeed, certain critics are in- 
clined to regard his action in this one respect as that of a poltroon. Such 
readers apparently miss the dominant note of the Aeneid — FATE, 
though the word itself occurs over forty times in the first three books. 
The present play is important in that it serves to convey the Vergilian 
point of view with regard to the heroic qualities of Aeneas, the Man of 
Destiny, who must forsake the attractions of Dido's court and the 
blandishments of the enamoured queen, in order to fulfill his mission and 
found a new kingdom on the shores of distant Lavinium. 

"When the Fates Decree" was written by a high school student. 
While the play possesses a few minor defects, it is remarkable for its 
clever conception and climax, its grasp of mythological detail, together 
with the uniform excellence of its diction. It was first presented with 
great success on the occasion of the annual Class Night exercises of the 
Peabody High School, Pittsburgh, Pa., June 18, 1914. The accom- 
panying stage sketch was used in the initial performance and is intended 
for an elaborate presentation of the play. The costumes for the principal 
speaking characters should be secured through a professional costumer 
and care used in the selection so that no inconsistencies may arise. To 
be exact: the costumes worn by the chorus of twenty (or more) students 
should likewise be Greek, although togas may be made very cheaply and 
readily and the apparent inconsistency overlooked. The music for the 
several chants and choruses may be adapted from Gluck's Orpheus, the 
spirit of which is splendidly adapted to the choral passages of the present 
play. The action requires less than an hour and no change of scenery 
or costume is needed. 

The first (limited) edition was exhausted early and the present 
edition has been issued in response to a demand for a reprint, together 
with suggestive supplementary pages dealing with staging and scenery. 
No fundamental changes, however, have been made in the text; it re- 
mains in every respect a classical play written by a student for students. 

Peabody High School, 

Pittsburgh, Pa. N. E. HENRY, 

Instructor in Latin, 



KEY TO STAGE PLAN 

1 . Back drop, showing the Elysian Fields, to be flooded with pure 

white light when the Fates enter. 

2. Drop — -clouds or rocks, to be raised on the entrance of the Fates, 

disclosing the Elysian Fields. 

3. Wings — showing "funeral pines and quivering aspens and myrtle." 

4. Wings — showing rocks. 

A. Throne of Proserpina. 

B. Throne of Pluto. 

C. Rock on which Barca reSts. 

D. Rock on which Fates stand. 

E. Trunk of dead tree. 

F. Bench for Judges. 

Note: Use a pale, subdued light throughout, inasmuch as the 
scene is laid in Pluto's realm. When the Fates enter and the draw cur- 
tain reveals the Elysian Fields in the distance, a flood of bright light 
from the wings should bathe the vista of the Elysian Fields in an efful- 
gence of glory. A strong spot-light will enable the audience to follow 
me various speakers in turn and will serve to bring out detail in costume 
in the twilight gloom of the stage. The play cannot fail to be spectacular 
and impressive when properly presented. 

TIME: One hundred years after the death of Aeneas. 
PLACE: The Judgment Hall of Hades. 



WHEN THE FATES DECREE 



DRAMATIS PERSONAE: 

Aeneas, the Trojan leader 

Ilioreus, his friend 

Anchises, his father 

Achates, his armor-bearer 

Pluto, King of Hades 

Rhadamanthus . . . . 

y Judges , 



Minos ...:... 

Aeacus 

Dido, Queen of Carthage. . 

Anna, her sister. 

Barca, her nurse 

Proserpina, Queen of Hades 

Clotho 

Lachesis 

Atropos 

Chorus of Shades (20-30) 



>- The Fates. 



STAGE DIRECTIONS. 

R means at the right side of the stage as one stands on it facing the 
audience. L means at the left side. C means in the center. RC means 
to the right of the center. LC means to the left of center. Up stage is 
away from the audience. Down stage is toward the audience. LIE is 
the first exit from the footlights on the left side of the stage. L2E would 
be the second, and L3E the last. 



WHEN THE FATES DECREE 

( The curtain rises and reveals the entire chorus on 
the stage for the opening chant.) 

Note : — The music for the chants and choral parts may be arranged 
from the score of Gluck's Orpheus. 

Chorus: — Rhadamanthus, and Aeacus, and old Minos, king of Crete, 
Sitting here in stern tribunal in dark Pluto's judgment hall, 
Hear the pleas of shadows passing, seeking justice one and all ; 
Hear the pleas of Shades, who, kneeling, beg for mercy at 

their feet. 
Woe, ah, woe! no sweet compassion reigns beyond the 

Acheron : 
Here the miserable sinner is absolved not from his sin ; 
Only souls whose lives were virtue the Elysian fields can win, 
Can escape the searing torture of the waves of Phlegethon. 

(Enter Pluto L2E.) 

(All chant "Woe, rvoe, rvoe," continuously while Pluto speaks.) 

Pluta(C) : — Mine is the realm of the shades, allotted to me for all ages; 
Here do I wield my iron power o'er the spirits of Hades, 
Sharing my ebony throne with Proserpina, daughter of Ceres, 
Queen of Eumenides dire, and worshipped at night at the 

cross-roads. 
Here within walls adamantine wander the spirits by legions, 
Through sad Persephone's Garden, whose dim and indefinite 

maze is 
Edged by funeral pines, and shivering aspens and myrtle; 
Deep in the gulf below are lying the giants in Tartarus, 
Ay, and Salmoneus also, he who dared imitate Jupiter. — 
Hence now, ye murmuring shades ! depart till our high court 

is open; 
Then shall ye plead for your souls and seek to find mercy in 
Hades. 

(Enter Dido and Anna, R3E.) 
(Pluto paces off (LIE) laughing sardonically). The others 
follow, leaving Dido and Anna alone on the stage). 

1 



Dido (C) : — Anna, my sister, why hast thou brought me here to this 
grim judgment hall, where these ghastly shapes put me con- 
stantly in mind of my wretched fate? 

Anna (RC) : — Ah, poor Elissa, why should I bring thee here but to 
meet the shade of him who is the author of all thy misery? 

Dido: — What, is Aeneas really come? 

Anna: — I was informed by a true messenger, who saw him among the 
crowd of spirits just landed from old Charon's bark. 

(Dido steps down (C), raising hands in prayer. Anna re- 
tires a few steps, Up R.) 

Dido (C) : — O ye immortal gods, if there be any whose ear is keen 
enough to catch these accents of a soul enthralled in Hades, I 
thank thee now that thou hast sent to me that wretch. He 
won my love, my soul, my life, and with them Tyrian wealth 
and power ; and then, weary of the too easy conquest, set sail 
upon the ocean winged with white, seeking another kingdom 
and a Latin bride. Often have I stood upon the shores of 
that dark, sluggish stream, over whose water in a phantom 
skiff the souls of dead men come. Long have I waited till he 
should appear, to plead his cause in this awful court, and 
now, he comes at last? (To Anna). 

Anna (Down RC) : — Yes, at last! His father, Anchises, has come 
from the Elysian fields with Ilioneus, to welcome him to bliss 
eternal, when he shall have passed this Stygian court. 

Dido (C) : — Never shall false Aeneas be released from that keen tor- 
ment which awaits him here. Does he believe that he shall 
escape the punishment which Pluto has allotted to faithless 
lovers? Faithless, said I? Yes, and those who love too well, 
selling their souls to the heartless god who pierces human 
hearts with shafts of gold. (X down R. Sits on steps of 
throne.) 

(Enter Barca, blind and groping.) 

Barca (L) : — Dido ! Elissa ! What, my fair Phoenician, dost thou not 
hear old Barca? Hark! (She stands listening.) 



Anna (X to C) : — There stands the soul of true fidelity. Faithful to you 
in life, when you were gone, she then served me, because I 
had been dear to you. Though she grew old and blind, until 
she died, she always waited on my every need and carried 
out each wish before I voiced it. (X to LC.) 
Come hither, Barca. (Leads her to Dido). Here is Phoeni- 
cian Dido, whom thou seekest. 

Dido (RC):— Barca! 

Barca (C) : — Ah, my beloved mistress, often have I longed to hear the 
music of thy sweet voice ringing through some cool Elysian 
glade. When will dark Pluto release thee from this place? 

Dido (RC) : — Never, I fear, O Barca. When the choice came to me, 
either to remain true to my dead Sychaeus, or else to give my- 
self to the Trojan lord, Aeneas, then I forgot my former high 
resolve, never to wed again ; now I must suffer for that hasty 
act. If I had only known that he would prove as false as his 
base ancestor, Laomedon ! If I had only known that he would 
basely leave me, after winning all my love ! 

(Dido up to C. Anna follows, crossing to UP RC. 
Barca X to R.) 

Anna (Up RC) : — These regrets are vain. The day has come for you 
to have revenge. 

Dido (C) (Turning): — I had forgotten, Barca, Aeneas comes to-day 
to plead his case before this three-fold judgment-seat. Here I 
will charge him with his baseness, and here Pluto shall allot 
him a fitting punishment. 

Anna (RC) : — Here he comes, I see the glinting of his shadowy mail. 
(Enter Aeneas (LIE), followed by Achates. Barca joins 
Anna. Up RC.) 

Aeneas (LC) : — This is the judgment hall, Achates, where I must pause 
awhile, until the sages three shall review my life work and 
give me passports to the western islands. 

Dido (C) : — Ay, here thou must pause! 

Aeneas (LC) : — What! Dido, is it thou? So we meet thus after all 
these years! Dost thou remember when we stood within the 
walls of lofty Carthage, and watched the setting sun with 
magic art gild the temple built by us together? That was after 
Mercury had bidden me hasten on my way, and tear myself 
from thy embraces to fulfill my destiny. 



Dido (RC) : — Dost thou suppose I have forgot the treacherous depart- 
ure, thou perjured son of Laomedon? Do not think thou canst 
beguile me with that story of thy summons by the gods, or 
win forgiveness with thy smooth discourse. 

Aeneas (LC) : — -Still cherishing these bitter thoughts against me? I 
should have thought thy long association with wisdom in this 
hall, where it resides, would have shown thee the injustice of 
these charges of thine, and changed this bitter hatred which 
thou bearest me. 

Dido (RC) : — Truly thou speakest in a manly spirit to jeer at me be- 
cause of my imprisonment here and failure to attain the meads 
of joy. 

Aeneas (LC) : — Thou art unjust. I did not mean to mock thee. 
Dido (C) : — Then thou must be so practised in the art of mockery that 
bitter jibes flow off thy tongue without thy bidding. 

(Turns her back.) 

Aeneas (to Achates) : — Verily there is no reasoning with a woman. 

Dido (to Anna) : — Well, let him mock me now. His hour of trial will 
come. 

(Enter Anchises and Ilioneus, (LIE), Dido and Barca 
rvhisper, (R). Ilioneus (R) greets Achates (LC).) 

Anchises (C) (embracing Aeneas) : — My son, Aeneas, hast thou come 
at last, thy long vigil ended? 

Aeneas (kneeling) : — Yes, father, I have come. My work on earth is 
finished. My drear probation over, and now I claim thy 
blessing. 

Anchises :■ — A three-fold blessing rest upon thee, that of thy father, whom 
thou didst rescue from the flames of Troy, that of thy grate- 
ful household gods exalted, and, last of all, the blessing of the 
ages who will thank thee for the legacy bequeathed them in the 
undying glory of the Romans, who will be the first to establish 
government on the basis of law and justice for all men. 
(Aeneas rises, C. Anchises steps RC.) 

Ilioneus (LC) : — My long expected leader, I salute thee. Why hast thou 
tarried in the world above? Thy son, Ascanius, has long been 
with us; so have many others of thy line, 
10 



Aeneas (C) : — The gods are jealous and demand certain burial rites: A 
prayer recited, and a handful of earth sprinkled on the dead 
body. A handful of earth! It is a little thing, and yet for 
want of it I have roved the world a hundred years. In a 
battle with the Rutulians I fought, and, wounded sore, was 
pressed back to the bank of the swift-flowing Numicus. A 
bold Rutulian chief with bloody sword upheaved cut through 
my guard. I fell reeling into the flood. My brave Achates 
avenged my death. Then, turning to the river, he breathed a 
prayer and plunged in after me. The current bore our bodies 
out to sea, where they now lie in coral sepulchres. Our souls 
together have roamed the world till now. 

Ilioneus (LC) : — Thou art a true son of old Troy, my brave Achates. 

Achates (L) : — I have done nothing. I simply followed where my 
master went and did his bidding. 

Ilioneus : — That shall be thine epitaph throughout the ages, and men may 
do far worse than follow thee. 

Dido (R) : — How slow the moments crawl along! When will the judges 
come? That fellow's babbling stings mine ears; I cannot 
bear it. 

Anna (R) : — Patience, my sister; see! they are approaching. 

(Anna, Dido, and Barca retire Up R. Aeneas and his 
friends move Up L. Enter Rhadamanthus, Minos and 
Aeacus. They take their places behind the table L. A. 
nearest the audience, R. next, and M. farthest away. 
Pluto and Proserpina enter, cross to the thrones and seat 
themselves. 

Pluto (R) : — All ye spirits, now draw nigh, for our great court is wait- 
ing to give justice to those who seek it here. After death every 
man must render an account of his stewardship and receive his 
reward or punishment. What case is first upon our books 
to-day? 

Aeacus (Reading from a scroll) :— That of the Trojan warrior, Aeneas; 
he craves permission to enter the Elysian Fields. 

Pluto : — Now if the Trojan be present, let him step forward and stand 
where all the court may see him. 

(Aeneas steps out from the group of his friends and stands, 

c.) 

Aeacus; — Art thou Aeneas? 

11 



Aeneas (C) : — I am the good Aeneas. After the fall of Troy, my an- 
cient home, I saved my father, my small son, Ascanius, and 
the images of the Trojan Penates from the flames. Awhile I 
tarried hard by Ida's mount, where other fugitives attached 
themselves to me, until a mighty company had assembled. At 
last, when the next spring was unfurling its timid flags of 
green, my father ordered us to make sail. Sadly we left the 
Troad far behind. In Thrace we first sought refuge, but fled 
the land accursed by the murder of a kinsman. At Delos the 
oracle bade us seek our ancient fatherland, whence the found- 
ers of our race once came. So I bore our household gods over 
the sea in my fleet; though plagues destroyed many of my 
comrades, though vile Harpies threatened, cruel monsters of 
the deep beset my way, and pleasant countries tempted me 
aside, still I proceeded ; even when my beloved father died, I 
left his bones in a Sicilian tomb, and sought Italia. At last I 
reached the longed-for shores, whence old Dardanus came. 
Then I founded my city of Lavinium, and thought to find 
peace ; but no, some jealous god forbade, and I was harassed 
by war. My son, Ascanius, however, established a happier 
city, Alba Longa, and handed down a line of kings. A 
daughter of this race bore twin sons to Mars; one of them, 
great Romulus, founded the city on the seven hills where the 
Penates of my fatherland still dwell. So, having made a 
home for my conquered gods, I seek a resting place in Elysium 
for myself. 

Pluto (R) : — This is a noble story; but know, Aeneas, no man may 
reach the blessed fields until these judges have examined him. 

Rhadamanthus (L) : — Stranger, have you secured a sponsor from the 

Elysian Fields who will corroborate your story? 
Aeneas (RC) : — My father, Anchises, he shall speak for me. 
Anchises {coming down LC) : — I am ready to testify before this court 

that my son's story is true, and that a hundred other things are 

true, which modesty forbade him mention. 
Minos (L) : — Were it not better, brother judges, that another than his 

father should stand sponsor for him? Paternal love may color 

the witness which he bears. 
Aeacus (L) : — Thy words are true, O Minos. 

12 



Rhadamanthus (L) : — Father Anchises, we will hear thy testimony, but 
another must be sponsor for thy son. 

Ilioneus (C) : — Let me then plead here for good Aeneas. 

Rhadamanthus: — Who art thou? 

Ilioneus (C) : — A Trojan I, who followed all the wanderings of Aeneas. 
I was a captain under him; part of his fleet was in my com- 
mand and I preserved it, when the wrath of Juno caused it to 
be scattered over the sea before Aeolian winds. 

Minos: — This man doth seem to be a fitting person to pledge his faith 
for Aeneas. Let us accept him. 

Aeacus: — I am content. 

Rhadamanthus : — We will allow thee to go surety for this man. See that 
thy testimony and that of all thy witnesses be true. 

Ilioneus (C) : — Perjury is foreign to the hearts of Trojans who have 
been deemed worthy to enter the blessed gardens. 

Rhadamanthus: — Well spoken. Now all attend; a soul stands here on 
trial. 

Dido (stepping forward RC) : — And never did a soul deserve more deep 
damnation. 

Rhadamanthus: — Who are thou that make this strange assertion? 

Hioneus (LC) : — -The Carthaginian queen ! 

Aeneas (RC):— Dido! 

Dido (C) : — I am she. Behold the sad and mournful spirit of Dido, once 
the queen of lofty Carthage. I dare to stand before this dread- 
ful court and accuse this faithless Trojan to his face! He 
stole my heart with his wily tongue; he inspired me first with 
pity, then with love. I gave both freely. He took all I had 
to offer, love and a royal welcome for himself, shelter and 
food and riches for his men. Then, tired of me, he left me, 
seeking the conquest of another heart and another land. 

Minos : — This is a grave charge and must be carefully investigated. 

Ilioneus (LC) : — My lord, this woman is mad with hatred and a desire 
for revenge on someone, nay, on anyone, whom the venom of 
her tongue can reach. She was disappointed in her hopes of 
Elysium. What is more natural than that she should seek 
to disappoint him who, she says, rejected her? 
13 



Anchises (L, standing before the judges) : — I pray thee disregard this 
woman's testimony. Her jealous fury makes her slander my 
son. 

Rhadamanthus: — In this court no testimony may be disregarded. All 
have the right to speak. It is for us to weigh the evidence with 
a steady hand and render righteous judgments. Now, Dido, 
speak, and tell thy story clearly, from the very beginning. 

Dido (C) : — I was a princess of old Tyre, until I fled that bloody land 
and built my citadel in the land of Lybia and called it Car- 
thage. One day a band of Trojans landed near my shores. 
They had been driven from their course by a tempest, they 
said; their leader was lost, and with him all hopes of reach- 
ing Italy. Not unacquainted with grief, I had learned to suc- 
cor the unfortunate; so I received them and entertained them 
till their leader came. This Trojan leader was Aeneas. It 
was his fleet that I restored. I call Ilioneus to witness, for he 
commanded the ships I rescued. Speak, chieftain! Have I 
told the truth? 

Ilioneus (LC) : — Ay, Queen, thou hast spoken truly, but to what pur- 
pose? This does not prove thine accusations. 

Dido (C) : — Nay, be not so hasty. Thou hast admitted this, my gen- 
erous reception of Aeneas. Thou shalt admit still more. Mark, 
judges, how the man repaid my kindness. Even from the first 
he was false and deceiving. He thought, forsooth: "Here I 
am in a strange country, whose people are hostile to mine. 
How long they will tolerate my presence I know not. There 
is danger in tarrying here, yet I would not leave this goodly 
land so soon. I will seek favor in Queen Dido's eyes. Her 
love shall protect me." Thus did he reason that my love 
might be his shield. For his advantage he made love to me. 
When my counselors advised against him, and my soothsayers 
foretold dire misfortunes which should come upon myself and 
my city by this man's hand, I laughed them all to scorn. He 
gave me precious gifts, saved from the treasure house of 
Priam; and many an evening seated at the banquet I hung 
upon his words, while he recounted tales of his prowess. Thus 
he won me, and used my love while it served him. Doubtless, 
this was fit amusement for a hero ! Then, when for his sake I 
had offended the Nomad Kings of Lybia, when I had for- 
14 



gotten all but him, the business of my kingdom, my vow of 
deathless devotion to dead Sychaeus, my womanly reserve, 
all ! all ! — then he deserted me basely, like a coward, said 
he was summoned by the gods and must seek Italy, his des- 
tined home! 

So he departed, and left me to die by mine own hand. 
(Dido pauses, overcome; her sister supports her.) 

Anna (RC) :— Answer now, Aeneas. Has she told the truth? 

Aeneas (LC) : — Most noble judges, she has told a true story, and she 
has spoken most falsely. The facts are true, but the spirit is a 
fabrication, a garment of lies on a frame of truth, a picture 
well drawn, and yet all the colors false to nature. It is true 
that she received us with great hospitality, true that I made 
her presents fitting her queenly estate, that I recited, at her 
bidding, the story of my city's fall, that we loved, that I at 
last departed. All this is true. 

Anna (RC) : — He has admitted his perfidy. What need is there of 
further testimony? 

Aeneas (LC) : — Stop! In my admission there was nothing wrong. All 
my alleged wrongdoings lie in the motive Dido has assigned 
to me. To my every deed she has attached some dark and 
. sinister motive. No deed can in itself be wrong. The motive 
and the circumstances make the crime. Because of this, no 
mortal can rightly judge the deeds of other mortals. The 
gods alone can read the hearts of men, and from them judge. 
When I reveal the true purposes which guided me, this con- 
victing evidence shall melt away. 

Anna (R) : — But wilt thou reveal these motives truly? How can we 
know that thou wilt not change the evidence to suit thy need? 

llioneus (C) : — Judge not! If thou art endowed with wisdom and in- 
sight into the purposes of men, let Rhadamanthus quit his 
place, and do thou take it. 

Pluio: — Silence! Aeneas, now proceed! 

Aeneas (LC) : — Hear my true motives. I gave her gifts, for it was fitting 
that the queen who entertained my people should have pres- 
ents suited to her rank. I told my story, but not until she 
bade me. I did not seek her love, she gave it me without my 
asking. Tell me, when such a gift was offered by such a 
royal lady, how could any man refuse it? 
15 



Rhadamanthus: — I grant thee, that when this lady put forth all her 
charms to win thee, if indeed this be true, she cannot well 
complain that thou shouldst love her. 

Dido (R) : — But it is false, great Rhadamanthus, false. With art and 
cunning did the Trojan win me. His glance was fire, his ac- 
cents passionate, his looks, and words, and gifts all testified 
his deathless love. 

llwneus (RC) : — Say, rather, that his glance was bold, and therefore 
different from that of the servile courtiers around thee. The 
story of the war in which his city was overthrown and so 
many of his friends were killed of course filled him with emo- 
tion. Wouldst thou have him tell it like a schoolboy reciting 
his lesson? Canst thou relate the murder of Sychaeus and 
never let a tremor shake thy voice? 

Achates (Down L before the judges) : — May I speak what I know of 
this matter? 

Rhadamanthus : — Thy name ? 

Achates (L) : — Achates, the armor bearer of Aeneas. 

Rhadamanthus : — Speak. 

Achates: — It was plain through all the court, and rumor spread the 
news through all the land, that from the first night Queen 
Dido madly loved Aeneas and employed every art known to 
women to storm his heart. 

Dido (R) : — Wilt thou take the word of a mere attendant against the 
oath of a queen? 

Minos : — All are equal before this court. 

Anna (RC) : — Then hear the testimony of the old nurse of my sister. 
She has just come from the Elysian Fields and her testimony 
should have weight. Step forward, Barca. 

Barca (Down C) : — I am sure, great judges, that my mistress, Dido, 
was never guilty of these bold attempts to win the heart of 
that upstart, Aeneas. I have been her servant ever since she 
married my master, Sychaeus. I was his old nurse when he 
was a boy in Tyre. Ah, me, what a fine lad he was! 

Rhadamanthus : — Never mind Sychaeus, good Barca, we are interested 
in Dido only. 

16 



Barca (C) : — Well, well! She was always a girl of becoming modesty, 
never bold and forward in her speech, but rather shy; half 
afraid of her own voice she was. Why, I remember one day 
when Pygmalion — well, it is no matter. But I am sure she 
would never have been so bold as openly to seek the love of 
Aeneas. 

(Barca retires Up RC.) 

Dido (RC) : — Now, ye wise ones, judge whether to believe his evidence 
or hers. Remember, Aeneas hath his happiness for all eternity 
at stake. Would it not tempt him to perjure himself, think 
you? Consider well whether he did not break the sacred bonds 
of hospitality by seeking thus my ruin. A man who as a 
guest accepts the hospitality of another and under guise of 
friendship breaks his faith is not worthy of the Elysian fields. 
(Dido, Anna and Barca whisper Up RC. The men con- 
fer Up LC. The judges confer.) 

Proserpina: — My husband, Pluto, it appeareth to me that this woman 
hath been greatly wronged by the Trojan. First, he hath dis- 
honorably taken advantage of her kindness; second, made 
love to her in sport; and third, he hath deserted her. 

Pluto: — So Dido says; but if we are to believe the story of the Trojan 
there was no dishonor in air this, 

Proserpina: — No dishonor! To use her hospitality as a cloak to protect 
him from his enemies! To make love to her that he and his 
men might be safe from the Carthaginians ! To see her passion 
rise and laugh at it behind her back! 

Pluto: — We cannot be sure that he has done these things. Silence, 
now! Rhadamanthus is about to speak. 

Rhadamanthus (Standing) : — After a careful conference, we, the judges 
of this mighty court, do find that the evidence brought by the 
accuser is not thus far sufficient to condemn Aeneas. First, be- 
cause it has not been proved that Aeneas did not honorably 
seek the love of Dido. On this point the evidence is not clear. 
Second, because the responsibility for this whole affair rests 
on the one who first sought the other's love. On this point we 
have evidence, it is true. However, the testimony of each 
witness directly contradicts the other. Third, the circumstances 
under which Aeneas left Carthage have not been fully ex- 
17 



plained. Therefore this court is not assured of the guilt of 
Aeneas, and must dismiss the case unless some further evi- 
dence is brought to bear. 

Anna (C) : — That evidence I bring. When the court has heard it, ye 
cannot but condemn Aeneas. Only a part of his perfidy has 
been told, and the lesser part. If ye could have been assured 
the evidence we brought was true, ye would have admitted 
that he had been guilty of violating the hospitality shown him 
and that he displayed gross cowardice in using a woman's 
love to shield him from her nation's enmity. 

Ilioneus (LC) : — These charges have been discussed and laid aside. 
Therefore, I must demand that no further reference be made 
to them. They stand repudiated, false charges, breathed by 
the thousand tongues of impious Rumor. 

Pluto : — The court sustains the objection of Ilioneus. Unless thou canst 
produce some further charge, I warn thee— - 

Anna (C) : — I can! An unanswerable charge, that of faithlessness and 
desertion. After Dido had yielded wholly to her love, when 
she and false Aeneas had spent many days together, planning 
the future greatness of Carthage, suddenly there came a 
change. Aeneas grew cold and weary of Dido. Perhaps he 
had heard rumors of the mighty Nomad kings, headed by 
Iarbas, who constantly threatened Dido's power. Perhaps he 
feared to meet their assault and longed to fly like a coward. 
How can I, a mortal, judge of motives? This I know: He 
did refuse to hear her prayers ; he did desert her ; launching 
his fleet, he did ascend the waves and leave poor Dido on 
the shore behind. Was not this faithlessness? Was not this 
cowardice? Judge, ye gods, (Spoken to Pluto and Proser- 
pina), who can read the hearts of men! 

Ilioneus (LC) : — Again thou art interpreting the conduct of Aeneas as 
the jealous Dido saw it. She did not understand that a higher 
purpose called him away. Aeneas, the lover, would have 
ended his days in Carthage ; Aeneas, the patriot, remembered 
that the gods had committed to his care the future greatness of 
the Trojan race. He had been commanded by Apollo to 
seek Italy, and there found a city for his people. As their 
leader, he had to disregard his own personal feelings. He was 
not a free agent. 

18 



Anna (C) : — Let Rhadamanthus decide what his motive was. Perchance 
the son of Laomedon had merely grown tired of his Carth- 
aginian love. In that case, who could ask him to stay longer 
at her side? Love is a passing dream. It is a magic spell cast 
by the moonlight. For a while it is sweet, ah, sweet! But the 
first beams of Aurora break the charm. Why do we swear 
eternal love? Only sorrow lasts forever, and regret. 

(Anna crosses Up R and stands by Proserpina's throne. 
Proserpina leans over and whispers to her.) 

Dido (RC) : — How could he be so cruel, so false, after his vows of love 
and deep affection? I was too happy in those golden days. 
We were beset on every hand with hostile tribes. Then 
Aeneas came. I loved him from that fatal banquet night, 
when I reclined upon my royal couch, his lovely son, Ascanius, 
at my side, and heard him tell the story of old Troy. As his 
sweet voice related those thrilling happenings, I clasped the 
young child to my heart, which throbbed and swelled with 
love. "Here is a man," I thought, "fit to direct the destinies 
of my people." Alas! the bright mirage soon vanished, and 
left me in the desert of despair. 

Ilioneus (LC) : — Fit to direct the destiny of a people! Yes, honor bound 
to do so. He was commissioned by the gods above to guide 
his exiled people to Lavinium. Canst thou not see he owed 
them all he had to give? 

Dido (RC) : — In Carthage then they could have found a home. I of- 
fered it to them. They would have stayed gladly, but thou 
wast eager to desert me. When I urged thee not to be so mad 
as to put out to sea in the winter time, only to wait till spring* 
and then depart, even then thou wouldst not stay. Was this 
consideration for thy people? No, no, it was hate for me! 

Aeneas (C) : — Thou askest me why I did not let my people settle in 
Carthage? I will tell thee. The Fates have decreed another 
destiny for the Trojans. The gods have foretold a city on the 
Tiber, a city of glistening temples white, crowning seven hills. 
It will become the ruler of a great world empire. The garden 
lands of Egypt and Assyria will be its tributaries. Proud 
Greece will bow before it. The Trojan blood will be ex- 
19 



alted in the blood of Caesars. Yes ! Such shall Rome be, 
the gods have dreamed, and gods have power to make their 
dreams come true. I was the agent whom they chose, and 
could but obey. So, though I loved the Queen of Carthage, 
that love could never be allowed to thwart the purpose of al- 
mighty Jove. Therefore, he dispatched Mercury from the 
Heavens to warn me not to tarry longer, but to seek Italy with 
the winds. Ah, then my heart was torn with cruel emotions. 
Duty summoned me away, though love for thee was raging 
in my heart. Didst thou call me cold? Say rather that I 
looked a seething furnace of love in a chill tomb of obedience 
to the gods. Didst thou say I would not hear thy prayers? If 
I had listened to them, Dido, all Neptune's flood could not 
have quenched my ardor, nor Hercules have dragged me from 
the coast of Lybia. 

Dido (RC) : — If thou truly loved me, nothing could have torn thee from 
my side. 

Aeneas (RC) : — The gods are jealous, and no man can place an earthly 
love above their will. 

Dido (RC) : — The gods are cruel. They inflame the hearts of men with 
strange passions ; they make them act insanely, to no purpose. 

Aeneas (C) : — Nothing in life is quite without a reason. We are all 
pawns in a game the gods are playing, for high stakes, un- 
known to us. No tiny action is without its purpose. No life 
is lived or lost wholly in vain. 

Dido (RC) : — Then wherefore did I leave Phoenicia and build my city 
in the desert? 

^Aeneas (C) : — Thy city will be a round in the tall ladder, by which 
Rome will climb to greatness. 

Dido (RC) : — Thou cowardly knave! Dost thou presume to tell me that 
my city will be but a heap of stones and dust upon which thy 
cruel city may set its foot and raise its standard higher? Dar- 
est thou to insult me thus, here in this solemn court, before 
these stern judges? Hast thou not yet wronged me enough? 
So, thou mocker, I must be humiliated before all Pluto's 
court? 

Aeneas (C) :- — Forgive me, Dido, I spoke in thoughtless haste. 

20 



Dido (RC) : — At last the words have passed thy lips, "Forgive me." 
Why, thou self-righteous man, what have I to forgive? Thou 
hast obeyed the bidding of the gods ! What wrong canst thou 
have committed? Nay, thou mockest me still. O, Anna, 
Anna ! I can bear no more ! The false one ! O, the coward ! 

(Anna supports her.) 

Anna (R) : — Art thou satisfied now? Surely thou canst think of some 
new reproach to chide my sister with ! 

Aeneas: — And in this court I thought to find justice, here, where false 
accusations follow me continually. 

(Turning wildly, Dido staggers to the throne and falls on 
her knees at the feet of Proserpina.) 

Dido (R) : — Thou art a woman, and perchance thou canst pity a deso- 
late sister scorned by men. If thou hast ever been an outcast 
from thy sweet home, pity me. If thou hast ever known the 
desolation and loneliness of a strange land, pity me! If thou 
hast ever had all that was dear to thee snatched away by a 
cruel whim of man, pity me! By thy good mother, Ceres, I 
beseech thee to have compassion upon a daughter of the 
earth! By the triple domain, I entreat thee to aid a royal 
queen brought low! By thy stern husband I beseech thee to 
mete out vengeance to this man! 

Proserpina: — My royal Pluto, where is the unforgiving justice which 
thou boastest? Has thy heart been moulded like clay by the 
fingers of this sculptor of hearts? Let a swift punishment over- 
take this boaster who glories in the favor of the gods. If he 
escapes, thy court will be the laughing stock of all Olympus. 

Pluto (Rising) : — By all the Furies, that shall never be. Presumptuous 
Trojan, thou shalt mock my power no longer. Thou hast made 
a jest of the heart of a woman. Thou hast laughed at the de- 
crees of my court. Perchance thou wilt not appreciate the 
humor of a bath in the Phlegethon. I have not quite lost my 
merry wit. Before thou shalt leave my company, I will pro- 
pound a jest to thee at which this whole assembly shall laugh, 
but, methinks, it will not seem so witty to thee. Ho, judges, 
what is your verdict in this case? 

Aeneas (C) : — Is there no justice in the universe, for living nor for dead? 

21 



Anna (RC) : — Now plead for thy life, thou false one. The gods thou 
didst obey shall protect thee now, O goddess born ! 

(Achates crosses in front of the others from L to R.) 

Achates (R) : — Thou tyrant! Had I a band of Trojans at my back, I 
would depose thee from thy ebon throne ! (Ilioneus drags him 
back.) 

Barca (L) : — Thou art vindicated now, my beloved mistress! Away 
with false Aeneas. 

Anchises (L) (Kneeling before the judges) : — I pray you, noble judges, 
stain not your reputation for justice by the condemnation of 
my son! 

Dido (Rising and speaking to Proserpina) : — My purpose is accom- 
plished. I should rejoice. And yet — -and yet—. 

Aeacus: — Proud Trojan, now prepare to hear thy sentence. 
Rhadamanthus (Rising): — Silence, all! I hear strange voices without 

the very door of this, our judgment hall! 

(The Fates are heard chanting off the stage.) 
The Fates: — Unlock the ebon gates; 

Fling back the portals wide; 

The concourse which awaits 

Delay cannot abide. 

The will of gods and men 

Must bow beneath our sway ; 

E'en Phoebus pauses, when 

The Parcae close the way. 

All: — The Fates! The Fates! 

( The judges, Pluto, and Proserpina stand. The rest kneel. 
Enter the Fates, LIE.) 
Cloiho (RC) : — My distaff incessantly twirling, 

With flaxen-like destinies wreathed, 

Has been turning and spinning and turning 

Since the spirit of life was first breathed; 

Through my fingers the lives of all mortals 

Pass slowly, are fashioned with care; 

Before they can enter the portals 

Of life, is their story writ there. (Gesture rvith distaff.) 

22 



Lachesis (C) : — To me is given the weighty care 
Of fitting each life into place 
In this great fabric we prepare. 
I study well each mortal's case; 
Sometimes a sinewy fiber strong 
Is needed in our mighty plan ; 
I measure on both stout and long ; 
A woman brave or stalwart man. 

Airopos (LC) : — Once in the life of every man I come, 

Not with the trumpet's blare and beat of drum, 

But like a voice that calls him through the night. 

And when he hears that summons soon or late, . 

He bows to the inexorable Fate, p \ jLajl. Aula. 

He turns his back upon the joyous ligh t,/ L \£ j- -j- LjUl" J 

Each one his little course to journey through, <dlf<*4 &>* A" 4ff 

Amassing riches transient as a breath. 

Though he attain some pinnacle sublime, 

I cut his life-thread at the destined time; 

Then, stunned, he turns from life and faces death. 

Pluto(R) : — Ye weavers of destinies, why have ye come to my kingdom? 
Ye fashion lives and have naught to do with dead men's souls. 

Cloiho (RC) : — The destinies of nations have been swayed 
By beauty many times ; now the sad Fates 
In answer to the prayers of Beauty's goddess, 
Have journeyed even to the underworld 
Before these judges to relate a tale. 
The golden Aphrodite from on high 
Beheld her son, Aeneas, pleading here; 
She heard their accusations, his defense; 
She saw the judges' hearts congealed to stone. 
And knew that for the lack of this true story, 

Which we alone, the Fates, could fully tell, ^ 

Her son must be condemned and Dido triumph. 
And now at her request we stand before you 
To justify the conduct of the Trojan. 

Pluto: — Depart and say to Venus, that she does ill to interfere in my 
realm. We have adjudged him guilty. We have found 
Aeneas wanting in manly virtue. 



Lachesis (C) : — And there ye judged him wrong as I shall show. 
When he was shipwrecked on the Lybian shore, 
Through Juno's wrath, and when the Carthage queen 
Received him in her city, Venus feared 
The hostile race might work some harm upon him. 
Therefore she snatched Ascanius away. 
Putting her own son, Cupid, in his place, 
The son of love, well versed in cunning wiles, 
Remembering the counsels of his mother, 
Plotted to make Queen Dido love Aeneas, 
So that her love should shield him well against 
The Carthaginians, who worship Juno. 

Atropos (LC) : — So, at the banquet on that fateful night, 

Young Love, parading as Ascanius, 

Concealed a golden dart beneath his robe. 

Then when Queen Dido called him to her side, 

He slyly pricked her bosom and instilled 

His love-begetting poison through her veins. 

Soon as the magic power had filled her heart, 

A mad, unreasoning love for bold Aeneas 

Laid hold upon her. It wrought all the woes 

Of which she now accuses this faultless man. 
Pluto : — Say on ! 'Tis clear we have been hasty in our judgment. The 

clashing evidence and varying motives in this case would have 

confused our brother Jove himself. The Fates alone can give 

a just decree. 
Dido (Down RC) : — Is this the truth? (Faces the Fates, C, her back 

to the audience.) 
Lachesis (C) : — It is, and more besides (Dido sinks on her knees), for 
Juno then, 

Thinking to change Aeneas' destiny, 

Arranged with Venus, who perceived her guile, 

That these two should be joined in marriage bond. 

Venus at last appealed to mighty Jove, 

Who sent his messenger to summon 

Aeneas to fulfill his destiny. 

Not until then, Aeneas sailed away, 

Obedient to the mandate of the gods. 
24 



Clotho (RC) : — Few men indeed would have been strong enough 

To sacrifice a present happiness 

To obtain a future blessing for his race, 

Leaving his love because the Fates decreed. 

(The Fates cross to right of throne. Aeneas comes down 
center. Dido rises and faces him, RC.) 
Dido (RC) : — I will not ask thee to forgive! thou hast suffered wrong 

at my hands past all forgiveness. Only permit me to confess 

my guilt. I have been made a sport of by the gods, and in 

my madness I have done — I know not what. 
Aeneas (C) : — Thou hast not harmed me, Dido. All thy rage has only 

served to make thee unhappy. I pardon fully thy attempt to 

injure ; thou didst not know the truth. 
Rhadamanthus : — Aeneas, thou art free to leave this place and seek the 

Elysian Fields when thou so desirest. Dido, thou too may 

enter the gardens of the blessed, for it has been shown that all 

thou didst was done either in ignorance of the truth or else 

in madness. 
The Fates (Clotho (C), Lachesis (LC), and Atropos (RC), tableau, 

after Michael Angelo) : 
Fates: — Now our mission here is ended, 

For Aeneas' plight is mended, 

By the sisters three; 

Safely past the court infernal, 

He has reached the realms eternal, 

By the Fates' decree. 



All: — Gods and mortals in a chorus 

When the Parcae stand before us,* 
Bow on bended knee; 
When we speak, without delaying, 
All must hasten in obeying 
What "The Fates Decree." 

Exeunt Omnes. Curtain. 

'^Instead of this line the Fates sing: 

"In submission kneel before us." 
26 



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